Julius berkey



(No Model.)

J. BERKEY.

HAIR PIN.

No. 558,871. PatentedApr. 21, 1896.

lhvrrn JULIUS 'BERKEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS TO FRED MAGY,

, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF SAME PLACE.

HAIR-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,871, dated April21,1896.

Application filed July 18, 1895.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS BERKEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Hair-Pins;and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in. the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in hairpins, and it is embodiedin the construction hereinafter described,and definitely r 5 pointed outin the claim.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view, andFig. 3 is a perspective view.

In the drawings, A A designate the arms or prongs normally convergingtoward the points, which approach closely. The upper ends of the armsare bent inwardly at an incline, as at a a, and are crossed one abovethe other at a point substantially the center of the inclined portions aa. At the ends of the portions a a the wire is bent substantiallystraight, as at Z) Z). The wire is then bent down, both sectionsconverging toward each other and curved downward,outward, and upward,

0 as at B, in substantially a semicircle, both branches Z) I) being onthe same plane. The ends of the parts I) b are united in the looped endand constitute the head of the pin. The hooked or curved portionconstitutes an ex- 3 5 tension, the sides of which are in part parallelor 011 the same plane, while the space between gradually increases fromthe curved portion to the crossing sections.

It will be noticed that the curved extension projects out in line withthe center of the space between the prongs and extends laterally at itscurved point below and above the plane of the prongs.

Bythe position and 5 sion there will be a formation of the extenpositivefinger and thumb hold provided, which can be easily and naturallygrasped on opposite sides, and when so grasped there will be no dangerof the pin turning or twisting as pressure the sides of the extension.

In operation by compressing the sides I) Z) the prongs are thrown out,as shown in dot is placed on Serial No. 556,405. (No model.)

ted lines, Fig. 3, the limit of movement being the distance between theparts I? b, which, being on the same plane, engage each other at a timewhen the prongs are spread to parallelism. The prongs are then forcedinto the hair. As soon as the pressure is released the spring of theparts I) b will tend to draw the prongs in and thus tightly compress andhold the hair located between.

In addition to the curved extension acting as a grasping-point, by itspeculiar shape the end of the hook or curved part will engage the hairand further assist in retaining the pin in place.

The pin described is very easily and naturally operated and the act ofinserting the prongs is not essentially more laborious or confusing thanwith the ordinary pin. It will further be noticed that there are noabrupt turns or acute angles in the extension, the bends being so formedthat the hair will quickly slide off from and out of the space formed bythe adjacent or contacting parts. The curved portion serves also as afingerhold, over which the finger can be readily placed when it iswished to remove the pin.

I am aware that pins have been formed so that by compressing certainextensions the prongs will be separated, and I do not broadly claim sucha structure.

I am also aware that minor alterations and changes can be made withoutin the least departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

A safety hairpin, consisting of a head 0 formed of looped wire havingits outer end portion bent laterally outward and thence back to or nearto the plane of the head, the inner ends of the wire being inclined outwardly in opposite directions, and prongs formed of continuations of theinclined portions of the head wire and converging to their points,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS BERKEY.

IVitnesses L. S. BACON, G. A. PENNINGTON.

